“Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.”
- Albert Einstein
Today is a celebration of our nation's independence. Funny, but the war raged on for quite some time after July 4, 1776; still,this date is as good as any. So what has our freedom wrought? A lot of good, but there is always a downside. Our current culture is obsessed with social media. Even more entertaining is the degree of bravery that it has instilled in people who can sit in the safety of their mom's basement and spew whatever comes from their fingers. The problem is that people actually feed these idiots by engaging them.
I originally wrote this post in 2012, and things have not changed much; if anything, it has only gotten worse.
Let's face it. We all stop and look when we pass by a car wreck. Do we REALLY want to see an actual mangled body being pulled from the wreckage? Perhaps some people do...but for the most part, the answer is no. Yet, we are compelled to look.
- Albert Einstein
Today is a celebration of our nation's independence. Funny, but the war raged on for quite some time after July 4, 1776; still,this date is as good as any. So what has our freedom wrought? A lot of good, but there is always a downside. Our current culture is obsessed with social media. Even more entertaining is the degree of bravery that it has instilled in people who can sit in the safety of their mom's basement and spew whatever comes from their fingers. The problem is that people actually feed these idiots by engaging them.
I originally wrote this post in 2012, and things have not changed much; if anything, it has only gotten worse.
Let's face it. We all stop and look when we pass by a car wreck. Do we REALLY want to see an actual mangled body being pulled from the wreckage? Perhaps some people do...but for the most part, the answer is no. Yet, we are compelled to look.
It is part of our culture now to gawk at the misfortunes of others. I hearken back to the Charlie Sheen meltdown. It was a national spectacle. He started selling tickets! He may have been crazy, but he was still thinking clearly enough to cash in on the public gullible enough to spend their cash.
We see it every day. Out loud, we complain to others. Yet, we have created the monster. You. Yes you. You are to blame for these nutcases. You engage them in debates that will have no winner. Yet, you feel drawn to try and state your case.
Stop!
All you are doing is feeding the sole purpose for a majority of these lunatics' existence: Attention. They crave it, and you give it. "But it is harmless," you reply. Really. Let's talk about some harmless nuts who sold their brand of crazy. Make no mistake, these are salesmen. And they only need to make you nod your head once to hook you.
Names to remember: Jim Jones (The People's Temple), David Koresh (Branch Davidians), Marshall Applewhite (Heaven's Gate), Charles Manson.
Yes, there are certainly more extreme versions, but tossing those names out detracts from the idea I am trying to expound upon. My point is simple: Walk away from the madness. Hurt them where it matters...ignore them. If you are on the social media with these vitriol spewing folks, use the block function. If you are sitting on the sideline, waiting for the inevitable implosion...shame on you. Simply remove yourself and congratulate yourself for no longer being part of the problem. Because if you think you are not part of it in your silence...you are wrong. You are still an AUDIENCE. That is the desire of these pathetic individuals.
Ask yourself this question: If a tree falls in a forest and nobody is there to hear it, does it make a sound?
The answer?
Who cares.
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